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A lophocyonid carnivore (Mammalia) is reported for the first time from Miocene (lower Badenian, ca. 16 My) deposits in Austria. A single, lower first molar from Schönweg-"Brüchl" (Lavanttal, Carinthia) is assigned to Sivanasua viverroides. The species is also recognised in Germany in few faunas of similar ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating fossil hominids and reconstructing their environments is critically important for understanding human evolution. Here we date the potentially oldest hominin, Graecopithecus freybergi from Europe and constrain the environmental conditions under which it thrived. For the Graecopithecus-bearing Pikermi Formation of Attica/Greece, a saline aeolian dust deposit of North African (Sahara) provenance, we obtain an age of 7.37–7.11 Ma, which is coeval with a dramatic cooling in the Mediterranean region at the Tortonian-Messinian transition. Palaeobotanic proxies demonstrate C4-grass dominated wooded grassland-to-woodland habitats of a savannah biome for the Pikermi Formation. Faunal turnover at the Tortonian-Messinian transition led to the spread of new mammalian taxa along with Graecopithecus into Europe. The type mandible of G. freybergi from Pyrgos (7.175 Ma) and the single tooth (7.24 Ma) from Azmaka (Bulgaria) represent the first hominids of Messinian age from continental Europe. Our results suggest that major splits in the hominid family occurred outside Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large and well preserved micro-mammal faunas are available from the Middle Miocene from Hungary, but very little attention was paid on insectivores, although this group provides good palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical indication. As a first step we review the material from Sámsonháza 3 (Hungary, Nógrád County), based on both published and new fossils. We report the dimylid Plesiodimylus sp., the soricid cf. Paenelimnoecus sp. and an indeterminate shrew. The erinaceids Parasorex sp. and Lantanotherium sp., and the talpid Desmanodon sp. are described for the first time from Hungarian deposits. The fauna indicates a relatively wet environment and is in agreement with the Middle Badenian correlation proposed on the basis of the rich molluscan fauna of the locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The rodent faunas from the Comăneşti 1 and Tauţ localities (Western Romania) are revised in light of the latest taxonomical, biostratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental information. The main systematic results show that the two cricetid rodents Megacricetodon crisiensis and Democricetodon iazygum are invalid, whereas Democricetodon zarandicus is retained. The original assigment of the cricetodontini remains from Tauţ to Hispanomys is emended, as a relationship to Byzantinia is more likely. While the geological evidence suggests that the localities are late Middle Miocene (Upper Volhynian-Bessarabian, late Sarmatian sensu stricto) in age, the association of Myoglis ucrainicus with Muscardinus hispanicus rather argues for an MN9 correlation for Tauţ. Indeed, uncertainties and discontinuities in the Central and East European mammalian biostratigraphy render any conclusion about the correlation of the localities to the MN “zonation” problematic. The high diversity of squirrels (five genera), as well as the presence of a pliopithecoid alongside, glirid and eomyid rodents, suggest a forest environment at the time of accumulation of the Tauţ fauna, which is in agreement with the indication of humid climate provided by ectothermic vertebrates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fossil record from the Carpathian area plays a key role for the understanding of the processes leading to the faunal interchanges between western Europe and Asia Minor during the late part of the Middle Miocene. Important mammal successions are now available from the Central Paratethys, especially Hungary and Romania. Here, we present the current state-of-the-art of the ongoing research concerning these faunas, especially small mammals and herpetofauna. We underscore the relevance of the Middle to earliest Late Miocene fossil record from these countries for chrono(bio)stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental studies at the Eurasian scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]